The cost of living

What's the minimum amount you could earn to have a reasonable standard of living? A recent report in the UK has come up with some figures.

你觉得要有一个合理的生活水平，你最少挣多少钱？英国最近的一次报告提供了一些数据。
 How much do you think is suggested as being the minimum amount a single man needs for an acceptable standard of life in the UK?

你觉得在英国，一个单身男性的最低生活消费是多少？

The cost of living

Callum: Hello I’m Callum Robertson and with me today for 6 Minute English is Jackie Dalton – hello Jackie.

Jackie: Hello Callum.

Callum: Today we’re going to be looking at the topic of the cost of living. What do we mean by that expression, the cost of living?

Jackie: We use it to talk about our everyday expenditure（支出，消耗）, so what it costs us to live our day to day lives, the cost of food, accommodation（住处，膳宿）, fuel （燃料）and so on.

Callum: Do you have any idea what you spend on these things do you know how much it costs to live Jackie Dalton’s life?

Jackie: I have no idea whatsoever 1 actually! I just shut my eyes and hand over my credit card and hope for the best. How about you Callum?

Callum: Well yes, I figure out my monthly expenses and when I get paid I put that money into a bank account and that’s only used for those regular bills. Any money I have left over goes towards savings 2 or the occasional luxury.

Jackie: Well that sounds very organised, Callum!

Callum: I suppose it is really. But if I didn’t budget（预算） like that I think I’d end up spending all my money each month. Now you’ll notice I used the verb to budget there – could you tell us a bit more about this word Jackie?

Jackie: Yes, ‘to budget’ means to plan your finances in the way you described, so that you know you can afford the necessities（必需品）. There is also a noun, ‘a budget’, you can talk about your weekly or monthly budget, which is the amount of money you set aside（留出，拔出时间，金钱等） to spend on particular things.

Callum: So, for example, I have a monthly food budget. How about you Jackie? Now we’re talking about this today because there was a recent report which set out how much, in terms of money, was the minimum that someone needed to earn each year to have an acceptable standard of living.

And that’s my question for you today Jackie. According to this report, which we’ll hear more of in a minute, how much do you think was suggested as being the minimum amount a single man needs for an acceptable standard of life in Great Britain?

a) ￡11,200 (about US$22,400)b) ￡13,400 (about US$26,800), or c) ￡15,600 (about US$31,200)

Jackie: Well I think life in the UK has got quite expensive so I’m going to go for the highest figure, ￡15,600.

Callum: OK, we’ll see if you’re right at the end of the programme.

This research was carried out by an organisation 3 called the Joseph Roundtree Foundation. Here’s their policy advisor 4, Donald Hirsch describing the project.

Donald Hirsch

This was very detailed 5 research in which a number of groups of ordinary people had long discussions about what really needs to go into a household budget（家庭预算） to achieve a minimum acceptable standard of living and they thought long and hard about what things are sort of luxuries, what things we might want and what things people really would need to have and this includes not just basics like food and shelter but also things which allow people to participate in society.

Callum: So they wanted to find out not how much was the absolute minimum（绝对极小值，绝对低点） you could live on, but how much you needed to be able to afford to live and also be involved in a social life.

Jackie: They examined a wide range of possible expenditures 6 in everyday life and decided 7 whether each item or service was essential or a luxury.

Callum: It was done by groups of ordinary people who thought “long and hard” about household budgets. Jackie, to think long and hard about something …

Jackie: Yes, this is a good expression and it’s fairly simple to understand, to think long and hard about something means to think very carefully about it. What’s important to remember with this phrase is that it is a fixed 8 expression, so you think long and hard about something. You can’t say ‘to think hard and long’ about something, that sounds funny.

Callum: Now we’ve just got time to have a look at some of the items they discussed, these groups, about whether they were essential or not essential for everyday life. How about, what do you think they though about mobile phones?

Jackie: I would like to think they’re not essential for everyday life.

Callum: Could you live without yours?

Jackie: No!

Callum: Yes, it was, mobiles phones were regarded as being something that was essential for everyday life. Television and a DVD player?

Jackie: I would say ‘yes’ if you want to in tune 9 with(与。。。协调一致) what’s going on in your culture. They are useful to have.

Callum: Absolutely, yes, that was a thought, that everybody, you know, needed to have a television and a DVD player these days. Access to the internet?

Jackie: Yes, I would say so, that’s as important as having a television.

Callum: Well they said no, this survey, they said no at home, because people can still access the internet if they want to an internet café or at a library for free, in many cases. And what about a holiday, having a holiday?

Jackie: Oh, they’re essential, but it’s probably a luxury isn’t it.

Callum: Well it was regarded as being essential, one week budget holiday in the United Kingdom each year was something that was regarded as being essential.

Well that is just about all the time we have for today. Before we go, the answer to the question. How much money is needed to pay for all these essential things and it was ￡13,400

c: 15,600

Now you said ￡15,600 Jackie, not as much as that, so but unfortunately you go the answer wrong – again! Well never mind about that. Join us again for more 6 Minute English soon. Goodbye

Jackie: Goodbye

（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

点击收听单词发音  






1
whatsoever

  
 


adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么


参考例句：





There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。












2
savings

  
 


n.存款，储蓄


参考例句：





I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。












3
organisation

  
 


n.组织，安排，团体，有机休


参考例句：





The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。












4
advisor

  
 


n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者


参考例句：





They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。












5
detailed

  
 


adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的


参考例句：





He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。












6
expenditures

  
 


n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费


参考例句：





We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》












7
decided

  
 


adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的


参考例句：





This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。












8
fixed

  
 


adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的


参考例句：





Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。












9
tune

  
 


n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整


参考例句：





He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。